Insights

As cloud computing and AI expert David Linthicum recently wrote, “AI is often described as a transformative technology, but transformation is anything but easy.”   That’s why, as AI transforms the legal sector, it was imperative to convene a panel during SF Tech Week composed of legal industry leaders who've made AI work – Okta’s Russell Philpott, Alight’s Martin Felli, Arc’s Rajiv Batra, and Salesforce’s Léo Murgel.   I was delighted to moderate, and our conversation couldn'

In just the past two weeks, since publishing Venture Legal’s LegalTech Goes Global (Part 1):   Stockholm-based Legora was reported to be in talks to raise funding between $100 million to $150 million at a $1.8 billion valuation. San Francisco-based Eve announced it has raised $103 million at a $1 billion valuation. San Francisco-based EvenUp was reported to have raised $150 million in a Series E. Utah-based Filevine, which makes legal practice management software, announced i

When Business Insider, reporting that LegalTech funding had crossed $1 billion so far this year, curated a select list of 10 LegalTech startups, two hailed from outside the U.S. - Sweden’s Legora, which had an $80M raise in May, and Britain's Luminance, which had a $75M round in February.  This week’s edition of Venture Legal is a trip around the LegalTech world (Part 1), taking a look at some of the startup activity and funding news in Scandinavia and the United Kingdom, Leg

“A foundational shift is underway in the legal sector - driven by generative AI, rising cost pressures, and a new wave of founder-led innovation,” wrote Alumni Ventures’ Clare Brandfonbrener this summer. “But this won’t be a winner-take-all market,” she notes. Amid rapid AI-driven change, big startup funding rounds, and intense competition for market share, in my latest edition of Venture Legal, I set out to examine the state of Legal Technologies in 2025 so far. As Business

The Information’s headline summed up the mood: “AI Forces Silicon Valley to Confront a Moment of Ecstasy and Agony.” The subhead added: “The technology has sparked enormous excitement among CEOs, founders, and investors, and tremendous fear that they could very quickly get left behind in an upended landscape.” For founders building in the AI space, this duality of excitement and anxiety is especially pronounced. As we head into September and the fall season, it is a good mome

As the AI boom continues, the numbers can be startling. CNBC reported that AI startups have minted dozens of new billionaires this year, and there are now 498 AI unicorns with valuations of $1 billion or more, with a combined value of $2.7 trillion. For companies operating in this space, maintaining regulatory compliance has become a critical concern as investors and founders look to scale responsibly. At the same time, regulators are working to keep pace with the rapid growt

“As Figma goes public, a turning point in the long-awaited IPO market recovery takes shape,” read Fortune’s headline. The IPO came after a planned merger with Adobe fell apart in 2023, with the design software unicorn’s offering valued at nearly $20 billion. This milestone reflected broader trends in legal tech investments, where venture-backed companies are increasingly shaping the technology and services used by corporate legal teams and legal service providers. As Fortune

It was week of “cryptocurrency drama” on the House floor, with the House set to vote on crypto-related bills during the Capitol’s “Crypto Week.” As investors waited to see if crypto regulatory frameworks would pass, the July 4th passage of The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act introduced changes for startups and VCs, highlighting the importance of regulatory compliance for corporations in planning and operations. As we continue to track how AI and market realities are impacti

Jason Shuman, General Partner at Primary Venture Partners, wrote that “It’s never been easier to start a company, and never harder to build a durable one.” That observation resonates strongly in today’s AI and legal tech startup ecosystem. Deals in the billions are becoming regular headlines. AI startup Thinking Machines Lab reportedly secured a $2 billion deal, while AI-powered LegalTech company vLex was acquired by Clio for one billion dollars in cash and equity. The AI st

When Tim Cook said more than a decade ago that competition makes everyone better, he probably did not imagine how relevant those words would be to the rise of artificial intelligence in venture capital. The Original Copy investment race has created an environment where speed and precision matter more than ever. Similar patterns are also visible in the legal tech sector, where adopting advanced tools has become a necessity rather than a choice for any serious legal services pr

Just as Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, raised the possibility that artificial intelligence could enable the rise of a one-person billion-dollar company, I started to ask myself a related question. Could we eventually see a one-person billion-dollar VC fund? With artificial intelligence reshaping the way investment firms operate, that possibility no longer feels far-fetched. For the legal technologies sector, this shift is especially important, as many of the tools being built for

Speaking at a tech conference, Sarai Bronfeld, Partner at NFX, was quoted in the press as saying that the world of venture capital is changing very quickly. Large American funds are now operating less like traditional investors and more like private equity firms. Instead of waiting a decade for returns, they are actively shaping opportunities and creating markets themselves. These shifts are particularly relevant for the legal tech sector, where investors are influencing how